Clash of the Cosmetic Companies: Milani vs. MAC

Any beauty lover worth his/her weight in lipgloss has taken the time to search for more affordable options when it comes to beauty buys.  My beauty blogging buddies - Nikkia, Kerris, Kia, Toni P., Tia and Yannize (aka BBM Divas) spend countless amounts of blackberry airtime trying to decide if the latest collection is worth a splurge or contains a dupeable item. 

Well recently we came across a gem by way of Milani cosmetics-Milani Lip Flash.  As many of you are already aware MAC released their Dare to Wear Collection to much excitement.  I cant lie the lip products are indeed gorgeous and I happen to own 4 of them (3 lipglass, 1 lipstick) so imagine my surprise when we discovered that the Milani Lip Flash pencils were a strikingly close dupe of these.  I believe I paid maybe $5 if that for them and come on $5 vs $18 is a no brainer (though I had already paid for the MAC ones but that is besides the point people!)  Here are some comparison swatches:

 Above is the display at CVS.

These are the Lip Flash swatches (the sorta clear swatch in the first photo is not Lip Flash BTW)

These are the Dare to Wear swatches.

Now I know one is a gloss and the other is a pencil but seriously once the gloss sets it is the same consistency and feel as the pencils in my opinion.  I would even go as far to say that the pencils aren't as drying to the lips.  Now before the MAC maniacs come for me, I love MAC just as much as the next person but that is honestly my opinion.  Just about everything else is comparable - color pay off, wearability, sparkle factor - yep its all there. 

I haven't been able to locate the Lip Flash pencils on the Milani site but they have been in every CVS I have been in over the past few months from DC, to LA to Miami so be sure to check them out.